2. Clinical features
Imaging
Treatment of acute intestinal
obstruction
INTRODUCTION
3. Vary according to :
• Location of obstruction
• Age of obstruction
• Presence or absence of intestinal ischemia
• Underlying pathology
Classic quartet :
• pain, distension, vomiting and absolute constipation
CLINICAL FEATURES OF DYNAMIC
OBSTRUCTION
4. Based on location of obstruction:
• Small bowel
•High : minimal distension ,early ,profuse
vomiting , rapid dehydration, little evidence
of fluid level
•Low : central distension with pain, delayed
vomiting, multiple central fluid level
• Large bowel :pronounced distension,
mild pain, late vomiting and
dehydration, proximal colon and caecum
distended
CLINICAL FEATURES
5. Based on duration of obstruction:
• Acute
•Sudden severe central abdominal pain, distension, early vomiting and
constipation
• Chronic
•Lower abdominal pain, constipation followed by distension
• Acute on chronic
•Short history of distension and vomiting against a background of pain
and constipation
• Subacute
CLINICAL FEATURES
6. Pain
•Sudden, severe
•Colicky mild, constant diffuse pain
•On umbilicus or lower abdomen
•Not significant in paralytic ileus
Vomiting
•Appear late in distal obstruction
•Digested food faeculent material
CLINICAL FEATURES
7. Distension
•SI: Increases the more distal
•LI: Delayed
Constipation
•Absolute or relative
•Does not apply in
•Richter’s hernia,
•Gallstone obstruction,
•Mesentric vascular occlusion,
•Associated with pelvic abscess
8. • Dehydration
• In SI obstruction
• Dry skin and tongue,
sunken eyes, oliguria
• Hypokalemia
• Associated with
strangulation
• Pyrexia
• Indicate ischemic onset,
intestinal perforation or
inflammation
• Hypothermia
• Septicaemic shock
• Abdominal tenderness
• Local – ischemia
• Generalised – infarction
or perforation
9. • Constant pain
• Local tenderness with rigidity
• rebound tenderness (Blumberg’s sign).
• Shock
• Occur suddenly and recur regularly
• Hernia:
• tense, tender, irreducible, no expansile cough and increased size
CLINICAL FEATURES OF STRANGULATION
10. Episodes of
screaming and
drawing up of legs
For a few minutes
and recur
Vomiting
Redcurrant jelly
stool
Sausage- shaped
lump
Sign of Dance
CLINICAL FEATURES OF
INTUSSUSCEPTION
12. Volvulus of small
intestine
Lower ileum
Primary or secondary
Caecal volvulus
May be congenital
More in females
Palpable tympanic
swelling in midline or
left
Sigmoid volvulus
Intermittent
symptoms followed by
passage of large
quantities of flatus
and feces
Early progressive
abdominal distension,
hiccough, retching,
late vomiting,
constipation
CLINICAL FEATURES OF VOLVULUS
13. Erect and supine abdominal films
• Jejunum: valvulae conniventes ( concertina effect)
IMAGING
15. Fluid levels
• Prominent on erect film
• Physiological: at duodenal
cap and terminal ileum
• More in distal small bowel
obstruction
• May have in high large bowel
obstruction, paralytic ileus or
pseudo-obstruction
• Seen in IBD, acute
pancreatitis and intra-
abdominal sepsis
16. •Gallstone ileus: gas in
biliary tree with stones
• Large bowel obstruction:
large amount of gas in
caecum
18. VOLVULUS
Caecal volvulus:
Gas-filled ileum and distended
caecum
Bird beak deformity with
barium enema
Sigmoid volvulus:
Massive colonic distension
Dilated loop running
diagonally from right to left
with one fluid level within each
loop
Volvulus neonatorium:
Normal or duodenal
obstruction gasless
19. Measures to treat acute intestinal obstruction
i. Gastrointestinal drainage
ii. Fluid and electrolyte replacement
iii. Relief of obstruction
iv. Surgical treatment
Principles of surgical intervention
Management of:
The segment at site of obstruction
The distended proximal bowel
The underlying cause of obstruction
TREATMENT OF ACUTE INTESTINAL
OBSTRUCTION
20. i. Gastrointestinal drainage/Nasogastric decompression
passage of a non-vented (Ryle) or vented (Salem) tube
4-hourly aspiration, continuous or intermittent suction
ii. Fluid and electrolyte replacement
Hartmann’s solution or normal saline
iii. Antibiotic therapy
mandatory for patients undergoing surgery
SUPPORTIVE MANAGEMENT
21. Indications for early surgical intervention:
• Obstructed/strangulated external hernia
• intestinal strangulation
• Acute obstruction
Indication for delay in surgical intervention:
• Complete obstruction with no evidence of intestinal ischemia
• delayed until resuscitation is complete.
• Obstruction secondary to adhesion without pain or tenderness
• Conservative management up to 72 hours
SURGICAL TREATMENT
22. • Adequate exposure is best
achieved by midline incision
• Assessment is directed at :
• Site of obstruction
• Cause of the obstruction
• Viability of the gut
23. Caecum
Collapsed: small bowel obstruction
Dilated: large bowel obstruction
To display cause of obstruction:
Displace small bowel loops and cover with warm moist
abdominal packs
Operative decompression
If dilatation of loop prevent exposure
Viability of gut is threaten
Closure is compromised
1) ASSESSMENT OF SITE
24. Can be done by:
Savage’s decompressor
within a purse-string suture
Nasogastric tube
Milking the content
retrogradely to stomach
OPERATIVE DECOMPRESSION
25. Determine the type of
surgical procedure
Enterolysis
Excision
Bypass
Proximal decompression
2)ASSESSMENT OF CAUSE
26. 3)ASSESSMENT OF VIABILITY
VIABLE INTESTINE NON-VIABLE INTESTINE
Circulation • Dark colour
becomes lighter
• Dark colour remains
• Visible pulsation • No
Peritoneum • Shiny • Dull and lustreless
Musculature • Firm • Flabby, thin and friable
• Peristalsis may be
observed
• No peristalsis
• May have
pressure rings
• Persist pressure rings
27. Infarcted gut are resected.
If viability of gut is in doubt:
Wrap bowel in hot packs for 10 minutes with increased oxygenation
and reassessed.
Resected: raise both ends of the bowel as stomas
No resection/ multiple ischemic areas: laparatomy at 24-48 hours
Note the site of resection, length of resected and residual
bowel
28. Bailey & Love’s Short Practice of Surgery, 26th Edition.
https://www.hawaii.edu/medicine/pediatrics/pemxray/v2c08.
html
http://www.wikiradiography.net/page/The+Abdominal+Plain+
Film-++Differentiating+Large+and+Small+Bowel
http://www.cdemcurriculum.org/ssm/gi/sbo/sbo.php
REFERANCE